Island



. the front or ornamental plate of such brace-- UNTTED sTATEs PATENT ofnrrc.

JOHN S. PALMER, OF PR017 IDENOE, RHODE ISLAND.

CNSTRUCTING- BRACELETS, &c.

Specification-forming part of Letters Patent No. 31,735, dated March 19, 1861; Reissued September 9, 1873, No. 5,571.

To all whom 11i/may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN S. PALMER, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful improvement in constructing bracelets, which is also applicable in constructing linger-rings, ear-hoops, and some other articles of jewelry; and I do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved bracelet. F ig. 2, is a front view and section of the same. Figs. 3, 4f, 5, &c. are details which are referred to in the course of the description.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the gures.

It has formerly been the practice to form lets in one piece, with the edges turned at right angles therefrom, after which the superfluous stock is trimmed off, and the said edge soldered to a flat plate or lining, and the superfluous stock trimmed therefrom. The die which stamps or forms the ornamental plate is expensive and if a portion of the design is defaced by accident or otherwise, the whole die is renderedworthless. Again as each die produces but one design, a number of such dies are necessary to produce a variety of patterns or styles. In addition to this the trimming olf the edge of the lining, leaves the baser metal exposed, (plated stock being generally used,) which coming in contact with the wrist of the wearer, forms an oxid which penetrates the soldered joint and separates the lining from the front.

My invention consists in turning over the edges of the foundation plate, to form an overlying lip, (or slide,) upon each edge of the outside of the bracelet, which forms a smooth round edge, and serves to support and retain certain ornamental work, composed of a number of metal plates, of designs in bas-relief, or chased work, or suitable plates containing hair work, precious stones, or miniatures, whereby different combinations of ornamental work may be produced upon one foundation plate, and thus, a great variety of styles, at much less expense than by the ordinary process of manufacture.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use of my invention I will proceed to describe the construction and operation;

A strip of metal of the width shown in Fig. 5, No. 1, is passed through a set of rolls, which turn the edges as shown in No. 2, and again through another set of rolls, which turn the edges as shown in No. 3,-the form of the rolls, and the mode of operation being sufliciently familiar to workers in sheet metal to require no description here. The turning or rolling the edges of-similar rings of sheet metal, is also generally practiced to stilfen such rings, and for that purpose is well known, and I do not pretend is my in vention.

The above stock is formed into a ring or oval, composed of two pieces, which are united at a, Fig. 1, in a hinge joint and at by a catch or spring fastening.'v

Fig. t, represents an ornamental'plate of die work in bas-relief, having projecting lips (or edges) c, c, at each end, and a ridge or bead z', which overlaps the opposite thin edge s, upon the adjoining plate, and hides the intervening space, as shown in Fig. 2. CZ, Fig. 2, represents a metal plate having openings therein, beneath which (plate) is placed braided hair-work Z, which is visible through the said opening, and which by contrast with the polished metal plate produces a highly ornamental effect. These orna ments are slid beneath the lips c, c, of the foundation plate, in their proper order and position, the lips c, c, overlapping the lips c, c, of the plates B, B, and the beads. z', overlying the thin edges s, of the adjoining plate, (Figs. 2 and The plate inserted next to the joints a, and Z2, of the bracelet, Figs. l, and 2, is secured in its place, to the foundation plate by a rivet passing through both, and thus the several ornaments are permanently secured therein. Should the bracelet be'bent or broken, it will only be necessary to remove the rivets, when the ornaments may be readily removed, and the injured parts repaired, or new parts substituted for those which are broken or defaced.

It will be observed that a multiplicity of designs in bas-relief or mountings of precious stones, shell, and hair work, et-c., may be inserted and combined upon one bracelet,

and every different combination produces a l different style or pattern, and in such a manner that no soldering is required.

The dies Which stamp the 'ornamental plates are inexpensive compared with those for stamping an entire front or outer surface, and if one is injured, another of a like, or of a diiferent design may be made to take its place at a tritling expense.

In the construction of linger-rings, ear hoops, and other articles upon this principle, it Will only be necessary to vary the size and form of the foundation plate and ornaments, to combine a variety of designs and thus produce numerous styles of such articles. 

